Talking about issues in today's world.

The next time you hear someone say about an office building: “This place is really sick!” don’t assume iths just an angry employee. It could be an environmental engineer or a medical expert talking about what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists among the five most important environmental issues in the United States–sick building syndrome (SBS).

Beginning in the late 1970s, many people working in recently built or remodeled buildings began to complain about respiratory problems, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms, for no apparent reason. The people noticed, however, that the symptoms would disappear when they went home at night and over a weekend. This led doctors and other experts treating these people to look at the buildings …

When you pass your driver’s test and get your license, probably the last thing on your mind is filling out an organ and tissue donor card. (In fact, you might be thinking, “My organs and tissues? I’m using them!”)

When you’re 18 years old (younger in some states), you’ll be eligible to give blood. Do you mistakenly believe that giving blood is somehow unsafe?

Well, if you don’t carry an organ donor card or donate your blood, you may be missing a chance to save a life.

Not Enough Donors

In the past few decades, organ and tissue transplantation has become more and more successful, literally giving tens of thousands of people a new lease on life. But…donated organs are unavailable …

Dan was visibly upset. As he and Andy stood in the hall, he started talking about their mutual friend, Rick. “In the middle of class, Rick suddenly got this zoned-out expression on his face. I looked him right in th eye and spoke his name, but he just blinked, I think he’s on drugs.”

Andy shook her head. “Actually, he’s not on drugs. Rich has eepilepsy.”

“Well, I know he’s an epileptic, but…”

“Dan, Rick is not an epileptic. He’s got epilepsy. There’s a big difference. You wear glasses, but I donht call you a myopic.”

Dan looked uncomfortable. “Well, I knew about the epilepsy, but he didn’t look like he was having a seizure. There were no convulsions.”

“I remember when it happened to me. It was last June during choir rehearsal. We had been standing on the risers practicing for at least an hour, and it was really hot and humid. The first thing I noticed was that everybody sounded really far away–like somebody had turned down the volume. Then I looked at the choir director, and he looked like he was melting into a gray background. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor behind the risers, and everybody in the back row was staring at me. I couldn’t recognize their faces at first, but then I started to focus on people I knew. I was so embarrassed!” Andrea blushed, remembering the incident.

That she did, and as a result accomplished a stunning upset, taking home the United States Open tennis title in 1990 at the age of 19.

The process that Sabatini used to give herself that mental edge is called imaging or visualization. Many top players in a variety of sports are using this process to make themselves ready for competition. In essence, they “run a movie” of a successful performance in their heads.

These successful athletes have learned that preparing for competition requires a combination of physical and mental preparation.

“Sure. But it wouldn’t matter. Nobody gets hurt on just 120-volt house current.”

Wrong, Tony! Improper use of electrical equipment on a house wiring circuit can transmit a fatal current or cause a serious burn. The severity of electrical injuries is determined by these factors: voltage, current, resistance, and the duration of contact with the current. The voltage Tony referred to is not the most important factor. It is the current that causes the …

You play soccer… tennis…hockey. You love to swim and sail. So you’re physically fit, right? Not necessarily.

Participating in all those sports means you’re active, not necessarily fit. It takes specific training to build fitness, using exercises designed to improve flexibility, strength, and endurance. To be physically fit, you’ve got to have all three.

* Strength. This is a measure of how much force you can exert with your muscles. When you’re physically strong, you’re less likely to sustain injury when you do heavy work. You’ll also do better in other activities, including games and sports.

* Endurance. There are two types: heart and lung (cardiorespiratory) and muscular endurance. Cardiorespiratory endurance means you’ve got a strong heart and lungs that can …

How big is the problem? Consider just one type of hazardous waste: radioactive and toxic wastes generated by America’s nuclear weapons plants. Cleaning up this mess alone would require the largest public works project in U.S. history. The task would take decades. And the cost could run into the hundreds of billions of dollars!

The total scope of the hazardous waste cleanup problem involves nearly 50 years of toxic substances that have been in our soil and water. And even if we can clean up the old waste, how do we keep new hazardous material out of the environment?

The first step is to understand just what hazardous waste is. A commonsense definition says that it is something that has …

The truth is, you are faced with life-and-death choices every day, even though you may not realize it. For teens especially, the decisions may not seem as clear-cut as what to do Saturday night or what college to try for, but many of your daily choices can make a big difference today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life.

Experts tell us that a chief reason friendships run into trouble is because boys talk to girls differently than girls talk to boys. And their communication styles are based on very different expectations. Learning how others communicate and adjusting your expectations to the differences in styles can help.

The following tips come from psychologists, guidance counselors, and specialists in how people think, feel–and talk.

Boy Talk

We’re all individuals, with our own communication style and our own unique way of expressing ourselves. Yet within the genders are some common points.

* My Turn! Boys expect girls to listen to them, while fewer girls expect boys to do the listening. Because of these expectations, boys generally do more of the talking …